Israel’s Chief Rabbi David Yosef: 'Stay Away from Meron' Amid Rocket Threats

Amid fears that Hezbollah could fire rockets at the Meron site, Israel’s National Security Ministry issued a warning this evening (Sunday) telling the public not to go to the site, and not to try to bypass police checkpoints and reach it via \"roads that aren’t roads.\" The Transportation Ministry also asked transport companies to avoid bringing passengers to the Meron site.

Shortly after the National Security Ministry’s announcement, Chief Rabbi David Yosef addressed the planned pilgrimage to Meron and called on the public to refrain from going to the site.

The Chief Rabbi noted that he is aware of the very real security dangers in Israel’s north, and of attempts by certain groups to get around police blockades and reach the tomb of Rashbi in Meron—against official guidance. He stressed that this is not an act of piety, but a serious violation of the Torah’s directives. He forcefully rejected claims that going up the mountain under fire is \"mesirut nefesh\" for the tzaddik.

He said the Torah commands \"v'chai bahem\"—to live by them, not to die by them. He emphasized that when security experts speak with one voice and say there is danger, the obligation in halacha is to heed them. \"A person is not allowed to put himself in possible danger and then claim, He will protect me. What is that supposed to be? What kind of argument is that? People have lost their sense on these things. They aren’t thinking rationally... In the Shulchan Aruch, when a doctor rules that a patient must eat on Yom Kippur, he is obligated to follow the doctor. So is he going to say, shomer mitzvah…? I, in honor of Yom Kippur… If something happens to this person, not only is he not dying for Kiddush Hashem, he is simply taking his own life—literally. All the more so here: the moment there’s a larger group of people and, God forbid, something happens, first of all there’s a greater chance they’ll be harmed, as I said; and second, the crowd won’t be able to get out and they’ll trample one another, and the disaster will happen again. Therefore, anyone who values their life should keep away from this. Do not go up to Meron under any circumstances,\" the rabbi concluded.